In Veda, the products of cow have been compared with the nectar (Rig-Veda 10.15 pp. 47). In Ayurveda cow's urine is one of the ingredient of Panchagavya. According to Susrut, Cow's urine has several medicinal properties (45/221, pp-61, 72, 220, 221). Its properties are also described by Charak (Solka-100 pp. 72). Cow's urine is extensively used in Ayurveda for purifying certain materials which otherwise possess toxic properties (pp-73).
However, the literature and scripture does not mention urine or its distillate as a protector of cells from DNA damage and chromosomal aberration. To investigate the property of cow urine distillate, the applicants obtained Kamdhenu Ark which is cow urine distillate prepared and marketed by the Govigyan Anusandhan Kendra (GVAK), Nagpur (India). This is the urine distillate suggested for oral ingestion to improve the general health and to control weight gain, oedema, stomach ache, indigestion, skin disease, cardiac problem etc. It is stated in the production process of Kamdhenu Ark that the cow's urine should be fresh as well as free of ammonia. Experiments carried out in NEERI revealed that storage of cow's urine results in formation of ammonia as could be seen from the following Table 1.
TABLE 1Ammonia concentration in cows urineIn Open containerIn Closed containerConcentrationConcentrationof ammoniaTimeof ammoniapH(mg/L)(in Hrs)(mg/L)pH8.010001008.08.295319758.28.31055212328.48.41421313798.48.51649414238.48.51849517108.58.51799616868.58.51885719898.68.41600818508.68.31398913638.38.516641014088.48.414411110338.38.516621217308.58.312961314738.48.415351415118.48.311591513288.48.618671617388.58.516621718628.78.921581818478.78.919571918868.6
The previous work of the applicants was on oxidative damage of the cigarette smoke can be prevented by vitamin C. The Authors demonstrated that the exposure of sub clinical or marginal vitamin C—deficient guinea pigs to cigarette smoke causes oxidation of plasma proteins as well as extensive oxidation degradation of the lung microsomal proteins. Further, cigarette exposure also induces Peroxidation of microsomal lipids as evidenced by the formation of conjugated dienes, malondialdehyde, and fluorescent pigment. However, complete protection against protein damage and lipid Peroxidation occurs when the guinea pigs are fed vitamins. Also, cigarette induced damage of proteins and lipid is reversed after discontinuation of cigarette smoke exposure accompanied by ascorbate therapy. The results if extrapolated to humans, indicate that comparatively large doses of vitamin C may protect the smokers from cigarette smoke-induced oxidative damage and associated degenerative diseases. (Panda, chattopadhyay, and Chatterjee; free radical biology & medicine, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 115-124, 2000.)